Get ready to have your socks charmed off SMPers, because this DIY barn wedding couldn’t be more adorable it if tried. Beautifully captured by Kelly Sweet Photography, every sweet detail sitting in this gallery will make your wedding-loving heart sing, and you can see why I am gushing here.
From the Bride…Being a wedding photographer myself, I thought of my whole wedding in pictures. I have been obsessed with wedding since I was little and have been reading wedding blogs and magazines since way before I even met Brian. I knew I wanted something rustic and vintage but I also wanted to try not to do the same thing as everyone else. One of the most important things to me in planning our wedding was that everything reflected us and who we are. I knew immediately that I wanted to use my vintage camera collection and thought that centerpieces would be the best way to use them. But I also wanted to include Brian in them so we decided to use potted herbs because he is a cook and is amazing with seasonings. We both love to read and I love old books so we added those as well as teacups that we collected at thrift stores over the many months before the wedding.
We looked at a lot of venues but nothing seemed quite right until we found The Hitching Post. The outdoor location for the ceremony was perfect and I loved the look of the inside of the barn! We also loved that the venue was very open to our use of different vendors.
I am very crafty and a DIY kind of person so I knew that I wanted to make a lot of the stuff. My mom sewed the flower girl dresses, the groom and ring bearers vests, all of the guys’ ties, some of the banners, and personalized monogrammed totes for the bridesmaids. She also made all the cards that we used for our guest book. She is amazing!
I made my bouquet out of a mix of thrift store, vintage, and Hobby Lobby door knobs. It was very heavy but so perfect! I also made my necklace and also necklaces for all the bridesmaids. I handmade Brian’s ring which turned out great. I hand painted all the signs, made all the boutonnieres and corsages, and the banner above our head table. I designed all the stationary including the save the date, invitations, menu, other cards for the tables, and the programs. I really wanted everything to be personal and meaningful.
My dad built the picture display and also collected, grew, and did everything with the herbs. He also painted and stenciled all the little wooden signs that were given to our guests as favors. He also made the awesome wedding sign that we put out by the road. He surprised me with a whole succulent garden on the day we went to decorate. My parents and brother helped assemble the programs and the place cards. I really have a wonderful and helpful family.
Lots of other friends and family helped out too. My matron of honor made all the bridesmaid bouquets; other friends did the flower arranging, several different friends and family members made the treats that were on our dessert table. It was great having desserts that were personalized- my aunt made her peanut butter fudge that I have grown up with, and my grandma made her caramel and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks which she has been making for years. We made sure to include some of our favorite desserts.
I let each of my bridesmaids pick out their own dresses because I wanted them to have something that they liked and that they could wear again. One we even found at a thrift store for $15! Brian has been wearing converse shoes since he was a baby so we knew that we had to have all the guys wear them.
Kelly of Kelly Sweet Photography did our pictures and did a fabulous job! She captured the day perfectly and I love how the pictures turned out!
I seriously could not have asked for a better day. The whole day went so smoothly. It rained a bit in the morning but the weather was absolutely perfect for the rest of the day. It truly was the best day ever and I got to marry my best friend. We both had so much fun and are so thankful to our friends and family who joined us and made the day so amazing. I miss it already!
Photography: Kelly Sweet Photography | Wedding Dress: Casablanca | Ceremony Venue: The Hitching Post | Reception Venue: The Hitching Post | Catering: The Hitching Post | Groom\'s Attire: J.Crew | Photography - Assistance: James Saleska